Monday, December 27, 2010

Krofftverse: Lidsville (1971)

With H. R. Pufnstuf & The Bugaloos in perpetual rerun, producers Sid & Marty Krofft moved to ABC with their next series, Lidsville. Charles Nelson Reilly (ex-The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, and 2 years away from Match Game) toplines as the vile HooDoo. We also see Reilly in the open as HooDoo's alter-ego, Merlo the Great, who otherwise doesn't appear in the series. Butch Patrick (ex-The Munsters) and Billie Hayes (H. R. Pufnstuf), this time on the side of good, co-star. The Stonerist uploaded the open, complete with the obligatory over-expository theme song:

Hayes would reprise her Pufnstuf role as Witchiepoo in a cameo appearance, but like the others, Lidsville would be in perpetual rerun for its 2nd and final season before ABC cancelled the series in 1973. The network even acquired Pufnstuf from NBC, but there wasn't much life left in that series. After ABC axed both Pufnstuf & Lidsville, it would be another 2 years before they'd buy another series from the Kroffts, although they would air a special or two in prime time.